Iceland's Supreme Court Upholds Wikileaks Ruling, Orders Visa To Process Donations Again

from the iceland-becomes-an-enemy-combatant? dept

Thu, Apr 25th 2013 11:33pm — Mike Masnick

You may recall that after US politicians pressured Visa and Mastercard to stop processing donations to Wikileaks, Wikileaks sued in Iceland. Last year, an Icelandic court ordered Visa to start processing donations to Wikileaks again, but Visa appealed. Now, the Icelandic Supreme Court has upheld the original ruling and once again told Valitor (Visa Iceland) to begin processing those donations again. As Wikileaks points out, if it refuses to do so, it will have to pay fines around $200,000 per month. Your move, Visa. Of course, if Visa does start processing donations, how long until diplomatic pressure from the US on Iceland leads to Iceland backing down?

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Filed Under: iceland
Companies: wikileaks

33 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 25 Apr 2013 @ 11:50pm

Given the growing distrust/dislike of the US Federal Government, even among US citizens, it is an inevitability that some country is finally to say enough is enough.
If DC wants to pretend they are the political equivalent of the Vatican, and attempt to dictate the agendas of large multinationals to the rest of the world, while increasingly losing the support of it's own people, it's going to find itself a rude awakening some day.
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The Mighty Buzzard (profile), 25 Apr 2013 @ 11:59pm

Re:
They would have already had that rude awakening if it weren't for this one holdup. We can't agree which of the bastards will be first against the wall when the revolution comes.
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Apr 2013 @ 12:27am

Re: Re:
We can't agree which of the bastards will be first against the wall when the revolution comes.

If only we had more than one wall:

no. of walls required = no. of guns * % of popular opinion against government / no. of revolutions

It's a mathematical certainty.
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Apr 2013 @ 12:28am

First the Pirate Bay switches to an Icelandic domain name, now this.

Anyone willing to guess who winds up on next years 301 list as a new contender?
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Apr 2013 @ 12:48am

Re:
Well EU said no in the 80's and 90's and it created a trade-war. US administration is very aggressive, extremely corrupt and completely independent of the political parties. EU has so far failed to accomplish this divine trinity, but with improvements to the "democratic oversight" they are becomming more aggressive and since they have an advantage in corruption, it is only the independence from politics that is missing. And trust me: Unless the commission gets slaughtered or something to that extend, they are about to dwarf the US in this area...
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Karl (profile), 26 Apr 2013 @ 1:17am

How long
how long until diplomatic pressure from the US on Iceland leads to Iceland backing down?

Hopefully long enough such that Wikileaks can recoup its operational costs... and continue practicing the free speech ideals that the U.S. is merely preaching.
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Apr 2013 @ 2:47am

funny how it's little old Iceland that has had the balls to say 'no' to the USA, after they instigated this block. when you think of the size of some other countries and the EU who just bend over to get a shafting and agree to all the USA wants. i assume the USA will be jumping up and down in anger and have a plane load of representatives sent to Iceland to 'convince' them to change course? i mean, the USA are 'The World Police', 'The Internet Police' and every other type of Police you can think of, provided, of course, that it is to it's advantage!
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Loki Raziel, 26 Apr 2013 @ 3:41am

Response to: Anonymous Coward on Apr 26th, 2013 @ 2:47am
That "little old Iceland" as you put it recently had its government overhauled by the people, the government-run banks were privatized and they gave the E.U. the finger. There is a blueprint in there for such a revolution, but it's a smaller nation it is just a micro example. There would have to be a major shift in the U.S. for that to happen.
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Ninja (profile), 26 Apr 2013 @ 3:55am

Re: How long
That. There are other ways to help Wikileaks such as their merchandise shop. I've bought a few T-shirts there. I don't fully agree with everything Assange did or does but the US are in the complete wrong side in this fight. And what they are doing to Bradley Maning is yet another incentive to help.
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Ninja (profile), 26 Apr 2013 @ 3:59am

Re:
Or say Iceland is hosting terrorists and send the troops in eh?

The US is already losing on multiple international fronts (figuratively speaking). If you use your hard power too much your soft power loses efficacy and their best bet would be to maintain a soft power over the world as they did for a good while.
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anonymouse, 26 Apr 2013 @ 4:04am

LOL
It must be really frustrating for the US that all of the lobbying and the money changing hands to enforce this has been for nothing, just as the billions spent on lobbying for CISPA have been for nothing, Yes they will eventually get something passed but in the meantime America is spending a small fortune on trying to get the world to comply to its demands, and one tiny country has overcome there size and strength with one small court case.

I am so glad that torrenting is increasing and that the internet is being used to stop the US government in it's tracks. It just shows that, when combined, the world population really can work together, and a huge shout out to Reddit and the world community using it to improve and protest what the governments around the world do.We are one world and one community and the time of governments ruling the world is slowly coming to an end, yes very very slowly at the moment, but it is happening slowly enough that the US and others do not even realise what is happening.
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Apr 2013 @ 4:16am

Bravo, stand proud the people of iceland, in this moment you have done a great thing where others lack the courage
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Apr 2013 @ 4:28am

Re:
I also don't think they will give a fuck!
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Apr 2013 @ 5:13am

Wonder what will happen when VISA says "suck it" and refuses to process any merchant payments in Iceland?
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Haudenosaun, 26 Apr 2013 @ 5:19am

Re:
And the balls to prosecute and imprison its bankers.
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Apr 2013 @ 5:53am

Visa to Iceland: go pound sand.
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Apr 2013 @ 5:56am

Re: Re:
Obviously, it should be those idiots from Sirius Cybernetics Corporation.
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horse with no name, 26 Apr 2013 @ 6:16am

Looks Like Visa Will Have To Leave
Visa has no interest in being ordered to process for anyone. Iceland is a very small market, don't be surprised to see Visa step away from the marketplace entirely.
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gorehound (profile), 26 Apr 2013 @ 6:39am

Re:
That rude awakening will come within the next 20 years I bet.Our Government is out of control.Those corrupt Politicians need a good Tar & Feathering.
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gorehound (profile), 26 Apr 2013 @ 6:43am

Re: LOL
I salute you in Iceland ! You have finally stood up against the Corrupt System of the USA where I live.I am also glad for Antigua who also stood up.I want to see more Foreign Nations give my USA Government the two fingered salute.I have such a hate for this shit Government I will be watching them sink ever lower.They will be very lucky to climb out of the rat hole they allowed themselves to sink into.
Every Empire has its Rise, Its Plateau, and its Fall !
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Apr 2013 @ 6:44am

Re: Looks Like Visa Will Have To Leave
Watch the ensuing riot.
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Wolfy, 26 Apr 2013 @ 7:02am

Nothing will change in any significant way until we start holding our elected representatives legally accountable for their crimes committed in office.

We could start by sending Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz to the Hague for trial of Crimes Against Humanity in perpetrating the Iraq war.
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Apr 2013 @ 7:03am

Re: Looks Like Visa Will Have To Leave
Ah, so when people complain about copyright and secrecy you insist to do things by the law, and when the law is applied, you give it the middle finger. Small wonder why nobody respects you.
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richard (profile), 26 Apr 2013 @ 8:00am

Stick it to the the Us goverment
The Us government is incredibly corrupt and a Horrible government that is to big for it's own britches, one of these days(sooner rather then later) there will be a revolution. The american people are just getting tired of getting treated like school children while our actual children don't learn anything in the horrible school system
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horse with no name, 26 Apr 2013 @ 8:09am

Re: Re: Looks Like Visa Will Have To Leave
Visa is an independent company that has the right to refuse to process for anything that it does not agree with. As long as they apply to rules the same for a given class of merchant, they should have no issue.

Iceland ordering Visa to process violates that basic right of business. So when someone's rights are trampled, you give them the middle finger. Small wonder why nobody respects you.
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Apr 2013 @ 8:42am

Re: Re: Re: Looks Like Visa Will Have To Leave
This horse, shouldn't have any mouth for "basic right of business" is not a thing outside of its mind.

Actually - and ironically - I believe the ultra liberal government that caused Iceland to crash would agree completely that the state should stay out of all business.
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Apr 2013 @ 8:44am

Re: Re: Re: Looks Like Visa Will Have To Leave
Trampling on people's rights and giving them the middle finger was initiated by the RIAA, who decided that they were entitled to sue dead grandmothers, children and laser printers. But you'd know all about this. You fellate them for a living.
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The Groove Tiger (profile), 26 Apr 2013 @ 10:31am

Re:
That's easy. They pay the fine. And if they don't, they get assets seized.
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Tex Arcana (profile), 26 Apr 2013 @ 10:43am

Re: Re:
Don't give them any ideas...
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Apr 2013 @ 11:02am

Good show, Iceland!
Well, I know which country just jumped to the top of my list of potential places to emigrate to in order to escape the United (Police) States of America.
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Apr 2013 @ 11:51am

Re: Re: Re: Looks Like Visa Will Have To Leave
It would appear that Iceland as a sovereign nation does not agree with you. Perhaps it's because you need some sort of licensing to be a payment processor that says you can't tell other people how to spend their own money?
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Lando, 27 Apr 2013 @ 1:49pm

Re: Re: Re: Looks Like Visa Will Have To Leave
And what separate class of merchant is Wikileaks?
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Apr 2013 @ 5:38am

Re: How long
US Government that is. I hate it when these comments stream in and with the all inclusive "US", attempt to dissuade the world against the people of the United States of America because of a few elements at the top that hold disingenuous ideals at the top spots in government because we the people can't change this. Such naivity only breeds contempt.
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